Stereotypes

I’m so fed up with people thinking of me in terms of inclusion all the time. I mean all the time.

They seem to be more interested in that subject than I am.

(Girl wearing a hijab, 23 years old)

A pattern of stereotypes is not neutral. It is not merely a way of substituting order for the great blooming, buzzing confusion of reality. It is not merely a short cut. It is all these things and something more. It is the guarantee of our self-respect; it is the projection upon the world of our own sense of our own value, our own position and our own rights. The stereotypes are, therefore, highly charged with the feelings that are attached to them. They are the fortress of our tradition, and behind its defenses we can continue to feel ourselves safe in the position we occupy.